Aside from its importance in academics, science and research, Los Baños is a well-known tourist destination. Because of the town's proximity to Metro Manila, Los Baños' hot spring resorts are frequent weekend or summer getaways for residents of the vast metropolis and tourists from other places in the Philippines and abroad. Tourists who visit Los Baños also come to the several native delicacies stores in the town to buy the town's famous Buko pie (coconut meat pie).

Los Baños is nestled between two of Southern Luzon's most dominant geographical features - Mount Makiling to the south and southwest and Laguna de Bay to the north.[5] In fact, Laguna de Bay's southernmost tip is at Barangay Bambang, and Barangay Bagong Silang is already halfway up Mount Makiling. Both the mountain and the lake are volcanic features - Makiling being a potentially active volcano whose geothermal activities gave birth to the hot springs after which the town was named, and Laguna de Bay being the filled-in caldera of a massive prehistoric volcano.

Another notable geological feature is Tadlac Lake, a maar lake whose almost perfectly round shape and uncharted waters have led some locals to call it "the enchanted lake." Others call it "alligator lake", a reminder that it served as the last bastion of Laguna de Bay's once-plentiful cayman population, which has since been wiped out and is now just another legendary part of Philippine history.

The Saran creek, whose headwaters begin somewhere near the municipal dumpsite, flows through Barangay Anos near the municipal cemetery, and feeds into the lake at Barangay Malinta.

The Pele creek, named after the Pili tree (Canarium ovatum), flows through the west side of Barangay Batong Malake and has its mouth at the boundary of Barangays Malinta and Mayondon.[5]

The Molawin River, most familiar to UPLB students because it flows through the UPLB campus and the Makiling Botanic Gardens, is named after the Molave tree (Vitex parviflora).

The Maitim river, whose name simply means 'black', flows through the westernmost portions of Los Baños, marking the town's boundary with its neighboring town of Bay. The Molawin and Maitim rivers merge just a few meters before feeding into Laguna de Bay at the shore of Barangay Maahas.[5]

Los Baños started as a settlement, a barrio of Bay, called Mainit, the Tagalog term for "hot" and alludes to the thermal springs at the foot of Mount Makiling. By 1589, through a Franciscan Friar, it became popularly called by its present name: "Los Baños," which is Spanish for "bathing place."[7]

In 1595, a temporary building made of bamboo and cogon was built to serve as shelter for the patients who journeyed to Mainit to seek cures for their ailments. It was on September 15, 1615 when the Friars administered Los Baños as a separate town from Bay.[7]

The early traders from Las Pinas such as the "Eusebio clan" and from Manila the "Lopez clan" are considered the earliest to have established farming and business establishment in the area followed by the Kalaws, Clemente and De Castro clan who are all related to each other. Presently although most of these pioneering families have migrated to other municipalities and overseas, the clan are still in monopoly on agriculture, business and education. In 1671, more permanent structures like churches and hospitals were built only to be destroyed by a fire in 1727. The structures were re-erected at a slow rate. The church which now stands in the municipal center of Los Baños dates back to 1851. The Spanish Governor's palace was built in 1879 but was only completed in 1892.

In 1909, the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture (UPCA) was established.

The UPCA became a Japanese camp for prisoners of war, an internment camp for allied nationals, a target of Kempetai punitive measures, and the headquarters of a secret organization of guerrillas. On February 23, 1945, US forces of the First Battalion, 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment led a combined amphibious and airborne raid against the Japanese prison of war camp, rescuing over 2,000 allied nationals. In order to haste the evacuation of civilians from their belongings, US forces and Filipino guerrillas were forced to burn the barracks before Japanese reinforcements would arrive to the area. Only Baker Hall, the armory-gymnasium, remained. Among those liberated, was a civilian purser named Frank W. Buckles, who subsequently lived to become America's last surviving veteran of World War I.[8]

In early 50's a batch of bright young Filipino forestry graduates of the University of The Philippines College of Forestry (UPCF) made their way to "British North Borneo" (Sabah) on a pioneering quest that has contributed in the establishment of the "Sabah Forestry Department" in Malaysia, including the famous "Sepilok Research Centre" where it also shelters the world famous orangutan sanctuary. (Prominent UPLB foresters in Sabah, Malaysia, retired Forestry Officers: Mendoza, T.V.Eusebio Sr, Udarbe, Alavaso, Sario, Pascua, Dotimas, Padua, Siruno)

In 1959, the 10th World Scout Jamboree was held in Los Baños, with the theme "Building Tomorrow Today" with an attendance of 12,203 scouts.

In 1962, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) began its operation.

From "Special University Zone" to "Special Science and Nature City", and Onwards[edit]

In 1979, the evolution and development of academic excellence in Los Baños moved the people of Los Baños to request then president Ferdinand Marcos to declare the municipality as "A Special University Zone", granted on 15 June 1982 by virtue of letter of instruction No. 883.

Los Baños was further declared as an "Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Sciences Community" on 17 March 1982 by virtue of Executive Order No. 784 (Section 23).

On August 7, 2000, Los Baños was declared as a "Special Science and Nature City of the Philippines" through Presidential Proclamation No. 349 in recognition as a center for science and technology in the development of agriculture and preservation of the environment.

The 6th Flora Malesiana, a triennial gathering of people with botanical expertise regarding "Malesia," was held from September 20 to 24 in 2004. It provided a forum for Flora Malesiana members and encouraged publications on Malesian plants.

In January 2007, the 5th ASEAN Inter-Club Age-Group Swimming Championships was held in the Trace Aqua Sports Center.

Los Baños also plays host to the UAAP, as the Trace Aquatics Center has served as the venue for the league's swimming competitions since UAAP Season 70.

Currently, Los Banos has the largest scientist community in South East Asia. Although it is a small town, it has contributed widely through scientific achievements and contributions locally and worldwide particularly on agriculture. A search through Google results in a list of international scientists in a range of fields who have come here to study.

Philippine Carabao Center at UPLB (PCC at UPLB) - conducts R&D in water buffalo; implements other programs related to water buffalo development; one of the 13 regional centers of PCC (see the link below)

Agricultural and Life Sciences Complex

National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (NIMBB/BIOTECH) - UPLB

Institute of Plant Breeding

APEC Center for Technology Exchange and Training for Small and Medium Enterprises (ACTETSME)

National Crop Protection Center (NCPC)

College of Agriculture AgriPark

Baker Hall (also known as Los Baños Internment Camp during World War II)